“Travels to a Different Time” : 17August1974: Wuppertal, West Germany: Beer in the Morning?

Up at 08:00 for the usual breakfast of brot, schinken und kaise (bread, ham and cheese). I must have eaten an entire field of wheat on this trip! We took the Schwebebahn and then a bus out to countryside to a big pool. Beer started upon arrival. Little 4-ounce glasses of alt beer sort of nonstop. When in Germany do as the Germans do. We then went to a soccer game and Freddy kept buying beers. We took a tram and a bus home but the bus broke down and we walked the rest of the way.  Berndt had to work at Essen in the evening so while he ate his dinner I packed up. I walked him to the bus stop and said good-bye. Berndt’s friend was heading to Bonn at 06:30 in the morning so it was off to bed early. Beer at 11 a.m. That’s a first.

18August1974: Wuppertal and Frankfurt, West Germany: What a Nice Granny! Willy the Pimp

Granny was up at the crack of dawn waking me up and bringing ham, bread and cheese. I ate as much as I could and went downstairs ready to say good-bye. My goodness Granny had even packed lunch! My ride was twenty minutes late and he did not speak English but we got along well. He left me off at a good hitching spot in Bonn and in no time I was picked up by a German student in those weird tinny looking Citroens. It was chilly and drizzling which rather suited my mood. I got a lift to the airport and found the Overseas National Airline’s office and was told they had a flight leaving at noon to New York the next day. So I stored my bag and took the train at the airport lower level so I could check out Frankfurt. I recall the main station was in a sleazy part of town and my recollection was correct. Porno shops and cheap bars with ladies of the night outside beckoning for business. There were also pimps with their girls reminding me of Frank Zappa’s song “Willy the Pimp”. I went to Wimpys for a cheeseburger and fries and took a bus to another part of town. I ate dinner at the train station for $3 and took the train back to the airport. They have stores, restaurants, pubs and pool tables. I walked around discovering this huge airport. I had a beer and played a couple games of pool, washed my face and bushed my teeth and off to sleep on some seats in the airport.